


From What I've Tasted Of Desire

by Some_Impossible_Fairytale



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Caroline thinks Klaus is Elijah and Elijah is Klaus, Chaos Ensues, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Human Caroline, Mild Language, Mistaken Identity, One Night Stands, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Will be Klaus' POV for first half, and everyone else are enablers, but everyone else is pretty canon in terms of supernatural natures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-04-25 01:24:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4941304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Some_Impossible_Fairytale/pseuds/Some_Impossible_Fairytale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tensions between the humans and the supernatural are worse than ever and a diplomatic solution is provided; Lady Caroline Forbes must marry the Original Hybrid himself, the King of New Orleans: Klaus Mikaelson. Forced into an arranged marriage to a famed recluse she's never met; Caroline arrives in New Orleans to find herself quickly entangled in a dangerous war zone  of the supernatural and royal politics. To make matters worse, Caroline catches herself living a tricky lie whilst waiting for her wedding, in that she's been sleeping with the King's brother!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Second Chance at a first impression

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first Klaroline fic! I don't know what happened, I just started have thoughts about wanting more Klaroline royalty au! And then thought how hilarious it would be if there was some mistaken identity thrown in there too!  
> Please let me know what you think and if you like what I'm doing here! xxx

Klaus leaned over the railing of his private balcony and he gazed out over the streets. The sights and sounds of New Orleans, his beloved kingdom that he had built up from a backwater penal colony always calmed him, centred him. Today of all days he could not afford to lose his temper. Not when his kingdom, his people, his _family_ needed him. Today, he was going to meet his wife, a woman he’d never met before in his life. Swallowing back the rest of his bourbon, Klaus savoured the liquid as it trickled down his throat, enjoying the familiar burn. It soothed the other, near constant ache, though even that he barely registered anymore. He ought to feed before they arrived. Ought to.  He wondered briefly what she’d make of New Orleans, his predestined **human** bride. Klaus had never thought that he would be subject to one half of an arranged marriage, or even for that matter, that he’d need marriage at  all. It was all Elijah’s fault, his noble brother for organising the damn thing. _If Elijah was the noble Mikaelson why wasn’t he the playing the sacrificial lamb?_

Because Elijah wasn’t the King of the Quarter and all New Orleans. He could have been what with Finn dying so young if he hadn’t fallen for Katerina bloody Petrova and given up his claim to the throne to be with her. Of course once the bitch had realised Elijah was serious when he’d said that a Petrova would never be Queen, she’d dropped him and – smart girl, considering what the others wanted to do to her – immediately gone on the run. First Henrik had died, and then Finn quickly followed by Mother and Father, the miserable old git. Now it was just Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah really. Kol was never in one place for long. He was probably off in the bewitching company of Lady Davina Clare, his, rather enchanting Klaus had to admit, little wife.  The merge with the Clare family and the subsequent flow of power and resources for both New Orleans and Klaus himself had been well worth putting up with that dalliance. Both he and Elijah had been horrified at the prospect of a feud with the Clares, one of the oldest families in New Orleans with their connections to the Summerlings, the Deverauxs and so on but Kol had surprised them all when he had proposed marriage just over two years ago. Even Marcellus, Klaus’ adopted son turned brother, who himself loved Davina as his own kin, now approved of the match. Love did strange things to people. Not that Klaus would love his wife; he didn’t love, at least not romantically.

The Mikaelson clan grew ever smaller. Tightening his grip on the glass, Klaus suddenly couldn’t take it anymore and spun sharply on his heel to hurl it against Palace – which he fondly referred to as The Compound, given its sheer size, marble wall. Listening to the shattering of glass break his solitude, Klaus couldn’t help but smirk to himself. He felt better. “Glad to see you smiling on this special day, brother.” Came Elijah’s voice from the doorway. “Though perhaps” a smirk of his own blossomed on the older Mikaelson’s face as he stepped over the broken shards towards Klaus “you could refrain from shattering Mother’s crystal until after the celebrations, Niklaus”

Prince Elijah Mikaelson was infamous for always wearing a suit and the day of his brother’s betrothal was no exception. Prince Elijah sighed. He wished his brother shared the same sentiments. Giving his brother’s typical black jeans, Henley and various beaded necklaces a once over Elijah gestured back towards the doorway which led to Klaus’ suite that was more of an apartment “You should change before they arrive”

“I should” Klaus returned disinterestedly, turning back to the balcony “Whether I will or not is another question entirely”

“Oh you will” a third voice added, the light feminine tone oddly threatening “I won’t have you disgracing us in front of the Forbes.”

Rebekah had joined the fray. Klaus loved his little sister dearly and was most protective of her out of all his siblings, but sometimes she really did try his patience occasionally. Sometimes the Princess really was a little too spoiled. Yes, God forbid the King of all people not be properly attired to receive a Duke’s daughter. Christ, tradition could go screw itself this once surely? This wasn’t their blessed wedding day after all. That would be a circus all to itself. Conceding over the dress code would probably buy him some leniency, Klaus decided it was probably best to be diplomatic and get things off to a good start. No matter how it bored him. Besides, Klaus knew how handsome he looked in a suit. Giving his fiancée a little flutter would be fun to watch regardless.

Throwing up his hand in a dismissive way to show his siblings that their concerns had been registered, Klaus passed them by to re-enter the palace and snagging the garment bag containing his suit off the back of the door he stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door. Hopefully they would take the hint and leave him to get ready rather than waiting in his sitting room to supervise him. Again. Once he was under the steaming water, Klaus felt his tense muscles begin to unknot. Showers were one of the places where Klaus did his best thinking, everything else just melted away leaving only him, his thoughts and the cleansing water. His mother’s old mantra floated back to him, though it had been many years since her death. _“If there is anything magical in this world, it is water”_

The marriage to Lady Forbes – he couldn’t remember her first name – was one of political convenience only. She would be his Queen and nothing more. Klaus had never really thought that he would get married but Elijah had insisted that their match would solidify the connection between New Orleans and the Republic of Mystic Falls, where Lady Forbes mother, Duchess Elizabeth governed. Unity with Mystic Falls was crucial in particular, though Kol’s marriage to Davina had alleviated the pressures from the witches, whilst Elijah’s current entanglement had gained the support of the wolves of the city, Mystic Falls and the human populace it contained were getting uppity with their lack of pull and a rebellion was not something that New Orleans could withstand after the death of the old King. Mikael had been....Klaus rested his head against the cool tiles and closed his eyes, Mikael and Esther had been loving when the children were younger but as they’d grown the couple had grown distance from each other and their children. Klaus in particular had been treated with distain by their father though Esther had done her best to shield him from it. The loss of Henrik and Finn had been the final straw since they had lost their eldest child Freya as a child. That was when Esther had sinned against nature, using her magic and (secretly) that of the Orleans witches to turn her children into vampires. That was when Klaus had become the Hybrid, and his true parentage had come to light.

The dissolution of his parents’ marriage, of the happy childhood he had known, of Mikael’s cruelty had hardened Klaus’ heart against love. Love was a weakness he could not afford as King. Though Klaus easily enjoyed the pleasures of women, many willingly throwing themselves at the handsome princeling especially after he had ascended to the throne none of them had ever come close to tempting him into marriage, Klaus had a very specific image of who would match his ideal of what he wanted in a Queen. But as Elijah, bloody hypocrite considering he had thrown away everything for love, had patiently explained for him it was not about what he wanted but what _they_ needed. A pretty girl from Mystic Falls to please the people, open balls, host charities give him heirs within a few years, since he was the only one of his siblings capable of bearing children.

_Outstanding._

He didn’t even know what Lady Forbes looked like. Elijah had received the portrait and said that he would find her very pleasing. Klaus hadn’t cared enough to see it for himself, he’d been more pleasantly engaged at the time. Yes, Genevieve had been exquisite. Tatia too had been an extraordinary beauty and perhaps could have been his Queen, if Klaus hadn’t been so young and foolish. Tatia Petrova. Klaus wouldn’t have cared about having Katerina for a sister in law if he could have only had Tatia, they had a thimbleful of noble blood – not really an issue truth be told but their mother and father Grayson and Miranda had been involved in a conspiracy to murder the entire Mikaelson clan a few years back. There were two other girls; Amara and Elena was it? The Petrova girls were from Mystic Falls thinking about it. Klaus had enjoyed a fair few Mystic beauties over the years, since becoming King at 22. Perhaps Lady Forbes would be a pleasant surprise.

Lady Caroline Forbes stared at her own reflection in her vanity mirror. Today was the day she met her future husband. The King of New Orleans, Niklaus Mikaelson. She felt sick. Of course, Caroline Forbes didn’t look ill at all. Her silky hair was curled gorgeously, her make-up impeccable and her dress, an emerald knee length affair brought out her eyes and made her skin positively glow. Yet if anyone looked closely they’d see the whiteness of her knuckles, the wide glassiness of her eyes. Caroline had never been to New Orleans, but she knew everyone called it ‘The Big Easy’. She wondered if that title had anything to do with her husband to be – the King was a well known womaniser. Caroline sighed. She’d always thought that when she got married she’d be in love first. She didn’t want a husband who would do his duty and then spend every other waking moment in the company of anyone else but her. Her mother had promised her that love often came later in arranged marriages but Caroline knew from her own experience that what could actually form would be a fondness, a mutual respect which is what had happened with her parents. Another inducement apparently was the fact that she would become Queen and live royally. Hadn’t she already? She was Lady Caroline Forbes, heir to Duchess Elizabeth who practically ruled Mystic Falls. Okay so she had the Council, a bunch of advisors made up of the Republic’s founding families; the Gilberts, Petrovas, Forbes, Bennett witches and the Donovan’s. But Caroline had always lived like a Princess, in all but name. That didn’t mean that she didn’t have a rebellious streak. She couldn’t help but giggle, ‘The Big Easy’ King Niklaus and her, the rebellious heiress – how the hell were they supposed to manage?  Mind you, Caroline was skilled at sneaking out of the castle to meet her friends and go partying. Normally they managed to cross the border – which was fairly close to her home – and go to the next kingdom over, Virginia. The Salvatore Princes were quite the renowned party goers themselves and their group had a fantastic time together. That was when Caroline normally hooked up, over in Virginia where no-one would recognise her. She had never been to the Virginian or New Orleans Courts so she could have her pick of lovers. But that was all over now, even if she couldn’t hold Niklaus’ interest he could stray and she could not. Given that Caroline had attracted Crown Prince Damon himself was nothing short of frustrating. Caroline shuddered at the thought of Damon, the darker of the two brothers both in complexion and nature. Part of her still hated Damon; he had been manipulative and emotionally abusive. The fact that he’d taken a shine to her friend Elena Petrova was troubling. Although the fact that _both_ Salvatore brothers were worshipping at her altar would be something of an interesting explosion to watch when it happened, Caroline wouldn’t be here to see it.  Caroline shook her head. She shouldn’t be thinking like that about her best friend. Best _friends._ She cared about Prince Stefan too and she had hope that Damon could find redemption regardless. King Guiseppe was as much to blame for the way Damon had turned out as Katerina was. Poor Elena hadn’t seen her third sister for over two years now. But everyone always chose Elena, she was always first choice.

 _She isn’t King Niklaus’ choice_. Caroline was going to be his Queen not Elena Petrova. And if the King had chosen her he must find her desirable. Caroline smiled as she stood, smoothing out the skirt of her dress. Looking round her childhood room Caroline felt a tinge of sadness that she would never see it again but as she reached the doorway to go down to the town car waiting to take her to the airport Caroline’s grin only widened. _Now everything begins._

It has taken several hours to reach New Orleans but finally, the limo has pulled up in front of the royal palace. It sits right in the heart of the City, the French Quarter. The locals call it The Compound. Caroline has only ever met Prince Kol Mikaelson and Marcel Gerard, the King’s ward. She’s met them one before, they were the ambassadors sent by Crown Prince Elijah to broker the match between the two countries, not to mention constant presences at the Virginian club scene. Both are charming with an easy smile and during their time in Mystic Falls, she’d often forgotten they were vampires. Caroline fought to suppress a shudder, unable to imagine ever asking to become a vampire. She was eternally grateful that one of the terms of the marriage contract was that her heart be kept beating and she never be compelled. Bonnie’s vervain necklace was just insurance.

Plastering on what she hopes is her charming courtier smile that had won her the title of Miss Mystic Falls on her own merits thank you very much, _Suck it Elena;_ Caroline is blinded by the sunlight as the door opens. The car they’d sent for her had tinted windows. Of course. Princess Rebekah was very particular about the right amount of sunlight for her immortal skin. They had daylight rings Bonnie had told her, so personally Caroline doesn’t see what Rebekah’s getting at but some people have more money than sense.  _Speak of the devils..._ Kol and Marcel stood waiting in the courtyard to greet her.

“Caroline!” shouts Kol, no sense of decorum regardless of the audience around them, striding forwards to claim her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it, waggling his eyebrows all the while. “I hope that now you’re back amongst us there’ll be a little more fun at Court”

Rolling her eyes, Caroline nevertheless bobs a curtsey “Your Highness.”

“C’mon Care, none of that tosh, we’re family now!” Kol’s accent has a more pronounced lilt to it than his siblings. “Davina’s eager to meet you an’ all”

Caroline merely smiles at him, the slightly wicked curve to her lips her own way of mirroring Kol’s bravado. In truth, Kol’s reckless nature scares the bejeezus out of her, but she’d die rather than letting him know that.

“He’s got that right, lil D was chomping at the bit that she wasn’t allowed to come greet you” comes a smoother, southernly voice from her right. There stands Marcel Gerard, Prince in all but name, King Niklaus’ right hand man. He opens his arms wide to her, the picture of hospitality.

“Lady C, the pleasure is all mine” Caroline tries to offer him her hand to kiss but instead Marcel envelops her in a hug. She’s being hugged by a vampire. Christ. Not that Caroline hasn’t hugged Kol or Marcel before but she was typically drunk when that happened and inhibition free. She wonders briefly if being touched by the Mikaelsons and their vampiric kin will be any easier, the longer she stays here. They feel warm, they feel human. But they’re not, they never will be again. And she cannot let her guard down. Sensing her discomfort, Marcel whispers in her ear, “Relax Care. You’re safe here. You have my word” They pull apart, Marcel’s hands resting at the nape of her neck “C’mon. Let’s get you a drink”

He and Kol link her arms and lead her into the Palace, shouting grandly “Welcome home, Care”

It’s stunning. The Palace has an open inner courtyard and oozes southernly rustic charm, despite the marble and gold she can see glinting as they walk through the doors, the beautiful wrought iron staircase. The men usher her into an antechamber, fetching the ‘house special’, bourbon, and make small talk. After about 15 minutes a pretty dark haired girl who introduces herself as Gia opens a door.

“His Majesty is ready, you’re Ladyship”

Oh. Oh shit. Caroline finds herself clutching at Kol’s hand and he gives her a reassuring squeeze before apologising that Klaus and Elijah wanted to meet her privately. Neither man say it’s because the King’s mood regarding this matter means that the less people around him, the better. They wish her luck and promise to see her later before sending her into the wolves den.

The room she is sent into is evidently the throne room, two large chairs on a dais at the far end, where two figures await her. One is lounging across the bigger throne whilst the second stands over it. At her announcement, they both straighten and walk towards her into the light. And that’s when Caroline’s brain short circuits.

It took Klaus’ brain a few seconds to transmit the message that his mouth was hanging wide open. Lady Forbes was, although more restrained, looked similarly aghast. Caroline. His fiancée was _Caroline_ Forbes. Caroline and Klaus had spent several delicious evenings together after bumping into each other in _The Grill,_ the hottest club for the social elite in the Kingdom of Virginia. He’d often tried to find her more regularly – the things she could do with those long, long legs of hers – but never succeeded. Klaus was marrying one of the best night stands he’d ever had. Elijah would have a heart attack. Klaus grinned; he grew fonder of this match by the second. Caroline coughed and it seemed to jump _him_ out of whatever sordid memory he was recollecting if the smirk on his face was anything to go by. She couldn’t believe it. What had she ever done to God to deserve this?

She could have a meltdown later once she’d got the pleasantries out of the way, plastering her most charming smile on her beautiful face, Caroline took a step towards her intended and the curtseyed low. The King bowed his dark head towards in return if slightly hesitantly and was she imagining it but was he sharing a look with Crown Prince Elijah. _You slept with_ Crown Prince _Elijah. The freaking vampire heir!_ Caroline screamed at herself. _Well I can’t wear white at the wedding now._

Elijah was indeed sharing a look with his younger brother. What was she doing paying her respects to the abdicated Prince (who nevertheless given his brother’s status was still heir to New Orleans) over Niklaus? Was this some sort of joke?  Klaus, who was watching his bride to be with confusion and beginning to get aggravated at the display suddenly remembered.

Caroline had made an innocent mistake. And who could blame her given that to the best of her knowledge she hadn’t had a string of one night stands with the _King_ but with his _brother._ In case he would be recognised Klaus had used Elijah’s name during his many hook ups. Nobody would connect a fair haired Elijah with the royal family given that the true Crown Prince was dark haired and besotted with his new beau, Haley, who accompanied him everywhere. Not one of his brightest ideas but in his own defence he had been rather plastered the first time they’d met. Damage was done now though. _Shit._

How was he meant to explain this? Klaus had hoped that he and his future wife could get to know each other a little bit before tying the knot, so that they would have at least established a partnership in order to further diplomatic relations. He may only require his new Queen for a merger but part and parcel of that was consummation. Klaus had never forced himself on a woman he didn’t intend to start with his own wife but how in the hell was he supposed to earn her trust and come to some sort of diplomatic understanding about this whole mess if Caroline didn’t even know he was him?! _Sodding Elijah._ Then the light bulb pinged. They would continue this illusion that he was the Crown Prince Elijah and Elijah could play King for a while. Just long enough for Caroline to agree the merger – because sadly, politically speaking New Orleans needed Mystic Falls more than the Republic needed them – and once she and Klaus, the real Klaus, had come to a friendlier understanding, hopefully a fondness that could become something of a partnership, they would reveal the truth to her at the opportune moment. He and Caroline had always gotten along, there was that chemistry and he wanted to show her that what had been forced upon them could actually become something real without the fact that he was King and the pressure of feeling that she had to enjoy his company because of that ruining everything. Catching Elijah’s eye, Klaus made the age old gesture among siblings, jerking his head in a way that clearly meant ‘Just go with it’. Thank God for Elijah’s eternal style and grace. Ever the courtier since he was a tiny tot, Elijah smiled as Caroline stepped forward, sweeping them an excellent curtsey and offering her hand up to Elijah “Your Majesty”

Elijah’s charming smile almost had Klaus himself convinced but as his elder brother’s head bowed to allow his lips to brush the back of her hand, Klaus felt something hot and ugly twisting in his gut at the action. He and Caroline may have fooled around in the past but they’d never been exclusive (he had once arrived late to a group party and growled at some interested kid who was still wet behind the ears whilst Caroline was in the bathroom but apart from that they weren’t exclusive)  but they were to be married. If he expected anything from his allies it was loyalty. He was trying to ignore the fact that he simply didn’t like Elijah touching his things.

“Lady Caroline. The pleasure is mine” the elder Prince purred but upon catching Klaus’ eye and ever in the interests of peace upon seeing the stormy expression he was doing a downright disgraceful job of masking, he amended “ours, I mean. Now” he clasped Caroline’s hand and pulled her alongside as he began to leave the reception room “I must beg your pardon but I have some urgent matters of state to attend to” Klaus’ lip curled back into a smirk once he heard that. _That_ was true , Klaus, given the fact that it was Elijah and his big heart’s fault that they were all in this mess, derived a great deal of pleasure from foisting as much of the curses of ruling onto the older Mikaelson. Klaus got to throw parties, wine and dine and declare War, Elijah dealt with the paperwork and the fallout.

Not bothering to listen to Elijah’s excuses any further, he vaguely understood something about promises to Caroline that ‘Klaus’ would return to her later and they would discuss everything then. Silence reigned briefly until he heard Elijah call his own name sharply in Klaus’ direction. Realising he ought to react, _that is going to get tedious quickly,_ Klaus spun back on his heel so that he was facing the pair of them once more, humming his ascent to show that he was listening.

“Brother, I was simply telling Lady Caroline that owing to the duties of ruling a Kingdom particularly with the preparations for the wedding and so on that whilst I’m unable to spend time with her at the present, I’d leave her in your capable hands to amuse her for a few hours. I’m sure I can trust you with her” Klaus’ can’t help but raise his eyebrow mischievously in response to the warning tone in Elijah’s voice.

“Of course Brother” he replied, sticking his hands in his pockets as he saunters closer “I’m sure Caroline and I will have ample opportunity to amuse ourselves” he winks at Caroline and he’s not sure whose death glare at that action of impropriety is more impressive; his brother or his fiancée.  Electing to gloss over the instance as always, Elijah exchanges goodbyes with Caroline before slipping out of the door and leaving them alone. No doubt he’s racing down the corridor – when he’s sure no-one’s watching, Elijah can run like hell – to inform Haley of this latest development. Hopefully one of them will catch Rebekah once she returns home so they can avoid an international incident.

As the door swings shut, Klaus turns to his prospective bride who thinks she’s his future sister-in-law, with a winning smile “Well, isn’t this an interesting –“the slap, when it comes does hurt, he’d forgotten that Caroline could pack such a wallop, he’s only ever seen the Caroline Forbes slap, never having experienced it first hand, Damon Salvatore’s the normal recipient. Or Kol.

Jaw twitching, he recovers to look her straight in the eye. It’s the first time they’ve really looked at each other all day and he’d forgotten how stunning she was. Baby blue eyes blazing, curls bouncing, cheeks flaming with a delicious blush which is offset by that dress which whilst tastefully cut, perfectly accentuated her figure. God, she was beautiful, even when she was pissed the fuck off.

“What the fuck are you playing at? What’s going on?” Caroline hissed expression a mixture of shock and horror. She’d masked it in front of her supposed fiancé, she’d fit in well here.  However, the fact that she was blaming him for what was in actuality a terrible coincidence grated on Klaus’ nerves.

“Well love, it appears to be one of those fluke moments in life where two people share an unexpected reunion” he replied coldly, massaging his jaw with one hand.

“Unexpe- you never told me you were _that_ Elijah” she spat furiously across the room, turning away from him to begin angrily pacing round the space, her heels clicking smartly on the marble floor.

“And I had no idea you were _that_ Caroline, so what do you say we call it square on this one?” Klaus sighed exasperatedly. “Caroline, can you at least give this thing a chance? I know it’s meant to be strictly political but I – we – my family and I would never want to force you into anything. This marriage, it’s the best way forward unfortunately and at least you know someone here and we’re not complete strangers?” That was not potentially the best angle to present her with but at that moment in time it was the only one he had. Remembering that he had a part to play here, Klaus gave a reassuring smile and stretched a hand out towards Caroline. “Come walk with me. I’ll show you around whilst _Klaus_ deals with his state business. We’re not that bad. I only bite on request, remember?”

Caroline turned suspicious eyes on him “See, that right there is why I’m hesitating! You can’t go round making sex jokes about our history! No-one can ever know!” Biting back the hurt this statement provoked, Klaus smiled at her “And they won’t. I’ll be on my best behaviour promise”

At his next gesture for her to come along, Caroline began to trail after him through the room to the other set of doors than the ones by which Elijah had exited, the ones that lead to the covered walk outside. Flinging the doors wide for her, Klaus stepped out, offering Caroline his arm. “It’ll just look exactly how it is; we’re being cordial to each other as...brother and sister. Nothing more” He said nothing of the fact that if the King of New Orleans stepped out with a sulky looking betrothed with a foot of distance between them how bad that would look, not to mention the crap he’d get off Elijah. As if things weren’t frustratingly mixed up enough already. Caroline eyed him for a moment, her delicate fingers hovering by over the sleeve of his suit jacket.

“You have my word, love” he tells her gently, fighting the uncharacteristic urge to reach out and tilt her head up, to make her eyes meet his.

It seems the right thing to say, despite the way her eyebrows shoot up at his words, the tender surprise, as if he’s given her a gift. It confuses him; normally it’s the look he gets when he can actually be bothered to woo women, sending them various trinkets, either for political ends or to sweeten their urge to get into bed with him. Usually those goals were one in the same. After a long moment, Caroline loops her arm through Klaus’ own, her long, fingers resting lightly, her pale skin stark against the black fabric.

Her touch was so faint, he could barely feel it. Gently, Klaus covered her hand with his own, squeezing the digits tighter round his forearm. “I can barely feel you sweetheart” he chuckles and this time when he looks up, Caroline’s gaze matches his. He’s never seen her look so out of sorts. Not even in Gloria’s bar when a pissed out of his head Kol had tripped and tipped red wine all down her white silk dress or that time the Salvatore brothers had dashed into their private booth at The Grill, that Bennett girl right behind him saying that royalty or not they needed to leg it because there’d been a misunderstanding and the police were on their way....running down the street together, hand in hand....

Klaus coughed gruffly “Come” before setting off at a punishing pace down the terrace.

To use one of his favourite curses against him thought Caroline, _bloody hell._

 

  



	2. Good Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Really short filler/ bridge chapter because I should be doing work for my Masters but instead I'm sat here wishing I was in New Orleans. Quite fluffy really. Hope you enjoy xxx

“So….” Klaus looked round in surprise when he heard the voice behind him, breaking the silence after a good ten minutes or so. They had now left the covered terrace behind, through the lush gardens before reaching the secret back entrance Klaus had had installed when he had come to the throne. Only he, Rebekah and Elijah knew this route existed…the other members of his family, Klaus didn’t trust quite enough yet not to stab him in the back; metaphorically or otherwise. It was intended as an escape route from the Compound, a modern day Sally-port of sorts. It was far from the bustle of the Court, but close enough that vampire ears could hear anyone approaching from the Palace. It also served as an excellent entrance to the streets as well; opening up onto the man street, which also meant the busiest area; the best way to hide (and to hunt incidentally) was to hide in plain sight after all. Turning to look at the blonde beside him, his hands busy with the lock securing the gates, Klaus was interested to see a curious expression on Caroline’s face. It was a strange mix of anger bordering on outrage and curiosity, yet she almost seemed shy – as if whatever was troubling her was forbidden in some way.

When Caroline saw his raised eyebrow, she took it as the signal to continue. “You’re a vampire?”

Ah. There it was. Her awkwardness stemmed from the sweet human sentiment of sensitivity given that he was a dead man walking. As far as she knew anyway; ignorant of the wolf’s heart beneath his skin. The silence she had exuded so far during their little excursion had been a worrying exhibition from her. Characteristically, it was getting Caroline to shut up that was the trick, so her silence had meant that she was either scheming something or she was thinking of all the ways that she could yell at him. This...this was almost touching. Klaus huffed a laugh, his earlier prediction that his fiancée may prove to be a present surprise was already coming true.

“Among other things. “ he’d just been about to remind her of the wolfish side to his nature before he remembered the false identity masquerade he was currently exploiting. The family had known that whichever human was brought forth to marry Klaus, odds are they would probably be incredibly uncomfortable with the vampirism which prevailed in their household. Even Davina, a supernatural being herself, still expressed discomfort on that front despite her particular love of Kol and Marcel. That was why Elijah had introduced the safety clause that the new Queen would remain human. Even Klaus himself had been happy to agree to that, he could put up with matrimony for the 60 odd years it would take and then he would be free again. Spending eternity with someone, spending essentially everyday with one single person for the rest of eternity…was not exactly something Klaus was ever willing to commit himself to.  The Mikaelsons motto may be ‘Always and Forever’ but that didn’t mean they couldn’t live their own lives whilst they were at it. That said, Klaus was always infinitely more comfortable when had his family in front of him, where he could see them.

When Caroline didn’t continue, he prompted “I’m surprised you even came here  to consider the marriage at all if that’s going to be a problem for you, love”

It got the desired reaction, Caroline flushed beautifully before replying, slightly irately, he noted with amusement “ Of course I accepted Klaus’ proposal, I don’t have a problem with it! Especially since it’s not something I’m going to be subjected to” she paused, realising how judgemental that sounded before continuing on regardless. “I’m just trying to figure out why you didn’t tell me! I mean –“ here her  voice became a whisper even though they were completely alone “considering we  _slept together. Repeatedly might I add”_

Smirking, Klaus chose to ignore her words in favour of opening the ornate iron gate and holding it open for her, gesturing with his head that she should continue on. His smirk grew into a genuine smile as Caroline stalked in an absurdly cute way through the gate before pausing to wait for him; arms crossed on the other side, tapping her heel on the cobbles beneath.

“I wasn’t under the impression we’d reached the pillow talk stage yet, sweetheart. Did any of us; Kol, Marcel or Rebekah divulge our true nature, to any of you, let alone our names? No. Because, _fauntkin_ , did it ever occur to you we like pretending to be human once in a while. To have experiences and make connections with others who do not see us ways to power and prestige? Our nature is not the most interesting thing about us so we do not let it define our lives.”

“Oh” Her brow had creased for a moment at his use of the old tongue but now Caroline looked preoccupied with another question.  Perhaps she was surprised by his own sensitivity. There was the Caroline he remembered, always sticking her nose in others business, curious as a kitten.

“So you miss it?”

Now it was Klaus’ turn to be confused. They still had not moved from the gateway, too involved in the conversation at hand, though the sounds and smells of the streets ahead of them were obvious now, even to weak, human perceptions. From behind them, Klaus could indeed make out the sounds of the palace; servants and courtiers alike bustling along and if he wasn’t mistaken Lady Camille, his personal secretary and shrink was looking for him whilst trying to pretend to Genevieve (her obsession with him was becoming rather boring now) and the rest of the court, that he hadn’t disappeared off on his own agenda. Poor girl, he ought to raise her salary. In fact, he should probably start paying her a salary, he must tell Marcel. “Miss what?”

“Being human. I know – I know you still have your humanity, as it were, my father once told me that vampires have a sort of switch, they can turn their humanity off, but – d’you pretend because you miss actually being human?”

Klaus scoffed, he couldn’t help it, it was such a ridiculous notion. “Now why would I want to cure myself of being the most powerful being on the planet. Second to Klaus of course” his self satisfied smile made Caroline roll her eyes. Actually, getting to praise himself in the third person was rather enjoyable, truth be told. Caroline went to push past him, evidently not expecting a serious answer

“Rebekah does.” He venture, a peculiar sensation settling in his chest as she stopped and turned to look at him. It was almost like the thrill of the hunt, if she were an animal he could easily imagine her ears pricking with interest. He continued, moving slowly forward to join her by the second gate “And Marcel to some degree as well I imagine. They miss the life they might once have had together.”

“And you? _So there’s not one single moment in your whole life that you wanted to be human.”_

_Once. I was on a trek in the Andes, and a hummingbird flew up to me and just hovered there staring at me. Its tiny heart was pattering like a machine gun… And I thought, what a thing, you know, to have to work that hard every day just to stay alive, to be constantly on the verge of death, and how satisfying every day must be that it survived… And that was the only time I thought about being human.”_

_Caroline looks at him with an infuriatingly indecipherable expression. For a moment he thinks it may be revulsion or worse, pity. This is Mikael’s legacy; he constantly believes that he is an abomination, condemned for all time, the lowest of the low. But the look in her eyes is too soft to be either of those, a tender warmth in the curve of her lips that reminds him ever so slightly of Esther in her more maternal moments but more so of Rebekah, when he truly shows himself to value her and the bond of family. The combination of respect and appreciation for which there is no real name._

_Caroline reaches across, taking his fingers in her own to squeeze them before saying “You’re a surprising person, Elijah.”_

His brother’s name snaps Klaus’ out of the moment, dousing him like icy water, the noble Mikaelson, not him. But then, somewhere in the back of his head the thought comes to him that ‘a rose by any other name would smell as sweet’. She may have called him by another name but she is talking about Klaus after all and his experience, which is not something the real Elijah can ever (or would ever if he’s ever so slightly logical for a moment) take away from him. He offers her a smile in return; easy, happy and true. A fire kindling in his chest. A bright light in the darkness. He would show her the sights of New Orleans, show her the kind of ruler he could be, when he wasn’t surrounded by the irritating warring factions of the kingdom. Then hopefully, she would be more agreeable to becoming his Queen and accept the deception without much of a fuss.

 

He maintains his grasp on her hand, pulling her close whilst interlinking their fingers and really she’s in no state to complain against his superior strength. He shushes her protestations, insists no-one will notice the Heir Apparent; glad she has yet to meet Haley (though how they’ll explain that he has yet to guess) saying no-one knows who she is yet and she ought to enjoy the anonymity ahead of the announcement later.

“You’ll never get to see the city like this again, Caroline, without the guards and the camera. Let me show you the Kingdom, only the way I can. Anonymously. The puzzles, the beauty, the secrets will lie down for us like lovers. Let us have this one day Caroline before all the madness starts” he coaxes, drawing her into the street, grinning as she notices how immediately they are swallowed up into the crowds.

Caroline shakes her head but the bemused smile he sees beneath the curtain of curls lets him know that he’s won.

“Then welcome to New Orleans, a supernatural playground where the living are easily lost and the dead stick around to play”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Fauntkin – young child. ‘Faunt’ means young child and ‘kin’ is an affectionate diminutive apparently. Decided to start using Old Norse terms here and there as well as maybe some other languages because a headcanon of mine is that vampires favour their old tongues either out of nostalgia or for covert reasons. 
> 
> Also there was an error last chapter which stated that Freya was alive and involved in the family, which I changed my mind about and have now removed.


	3. Down in New Orleans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is horrendously overdue. I've been doing a degree that has taken over my entire life practically - and it is only now that I'm getting back to our regular scheduled viewing which includes writing about our favourite Baby Vampire and Hybrid. I do hope you enjoy this - its quite a bit slower than my other works but I wanted to set the characters up and just hopefully show that there will be other themes and elements than just Klaroline although that is of course the main thing and the heaviest of all. Trying to develop as a writer and all that. Please review :) xx
> 
> Also there will probably be Princess and the Frog references. Just saying.

It surprised Klaus that it was far easier than he had originally thought to get both of them out of the Compound. Not that anyone would ever dream of trying to stop him (apart from Rebekah and she was away on business and Elijah, whose probably having an aneurysm trying to work out how to keep Klaus on the not so straight and narrow without people dying or getting something on his suit) and therefore, by extension, Caroline. One of the best things of great cities, of living in the capital was the ever changing nature of life here, there was always something new to see, something his immortal bones relished. The stolen hours with Caroline gave Klaus a real reprieve from the tensions of ruling, a sanctuary he had only ever found through art, because it gave him control to get to know Caroline as he wished, without petty formalities getting in the way. For an hour or two, Klaus was not King of New Orleans. She saw him as a person. Give or take the odd royal privilege.

And now he would be able to indulge in that pleasure whenever he wished. Perhaps it was Caroline herself, she was so full of beauty, strength, light and enthusiasm that he often wondered if she had found life in Mystic Falls stifling. He asked her as they were taking in a street fair and she laughed shyly, saying that even though she was nobility she’d never even really been anywhere. “I’ll take you.” The offer was out of his mouth without a second thought, “Paris, Rome, Tokyo”

“Wow” Caroline laughed fully this time, albeit disbelievingly her head thrown back to the sky, before giving him an odd look, as if her were a riddle she couldn’t solve. “Thank you, Elijah” she’d squeezed his hand briefly before something caught her eye and she overtook him. The sound of his brother’s name falling so affectionately from her lips brought Klaus up short. This time spent with his soon to be wife was to encourage a level of mutual respect, no matter how pitiful alongside a healthy dose of fear for the Hybrid King. Compliance. Loyalty.

That was all Klaus ever wanted from people, all he’d come to expect on a personal level from his wife. But then his fiancée had turned out to be Caroline. And whilst the carnal level of things would no longer be deemed a chore (far bloody from it, in all honesty), it complicated things. Not on the political level, politics bored him, it was a game of chess for power and respect. Klaus understood that to take power and respect you had to do just that. Take it. Marcel disagreed, in the interest of healthy debate, but he was young, in love. His son would come around eventually, he always did. No, this was a personal matter. Of all things, he had never expected to like Caroline. The more time he spent with her, the more Klaus was beginning to find his attraction growing beyond the physical. As Kol had so eloquently put it, he fancied her. All of her. Klaus should dismiss this pull right now, put distance between the two of them, keep it cordial and nothing more. He couldn’t afford distractions; particularly not of this nature - this was only meant as a diplomatic merger for God’s sake! Tell her the truth and reveal their deception. Caroline he knew from Stefan valued loyalty, honesty above everything else. She despised being disappointed in her friends. They had that in common at least. But if anything, Elijah and Marcel had always encouraged that he spent time with Caroline, they said she was good for him, that after time around the young human he was more amiable, the court liked him better, which meant ruling was easier in turn. Better still was that he hadn’t killed an ambassador out of irritation in weeks. He had killed a member of the Faction, the resident important humans, because the man was a greedy, grasping good for nothing who wanted to sell his own kind down the river in order to obtain money and immortality. Apart from that it was a lot of threats and a little maiming and who did that hurt really? Even Davina, his distrustful granddaughter/sister in law was more relaxed. But Caroline, he found himself wanting her loyalty, her respect. Kinship. Friendship. Otherwise she would never agree to the marriage and everything would go to hell anyway. So naturally, the minute Klaus wanted anything, the moment he started to relax, everything indeed went arse over tit.

****

They were still on Bourbon street at the fair (the state of the street was a disgrace in Klaus’ opinion but Marcel had harped on about tourism, the populace and food supplies till he’d dropped the matter), Caroline flitting between stalls, stopping for a few moments to haggle over cheap trinkets or fabric. He couldn’t understand it, she had access to the Republic’s jewels and rich cloth and yet here she was like a commoner, bartering on market day. Her oddity made him smile. People never really changed, no matter the century. His ears perk up at the sound of her voice, chattering away to him about some herb for her friend Bonnie yet he finds himself focusing on the sound of feet rushing at vampiric speed, the muted jangle of a chain on cloth, rubber soles on tarmac coming ever closer. Just as he’s stepped in front of Caroline’s unshielded back, Marcel comes to a halt before him. Even Caroline, with her dull human senses realises he’s there and turns, eyes wide at his apparition but otherwise pretty undisturbed.

“Marcellus, what’s wrong?” Klaus uses his son’s full name, both an endearment and a warning, a signal not to alarm Caroline with his words, but showing his support at his little warrior’s plight. Thankfully, Marcel is not covered in blood or any signs of a struggle, meaning this is a political issue on the balance of probabilities. Klaus’ concern shifts further into irritation, Marcel had been given only the very best schooling in politics and strategy both as a human and later as a young vampire, he knows better than to interrupt a personal errand for something so paltry.

Settling himself, Marcel huffed a sigh before beginning “Thierry and his girl, Katie, got into some kind of fight with a group of Dubois witches a few streets away and now there’s a lot of snapped necks and aneurysms flying around. Civilians getting caught in the crossfire and you know what that means. Normally I’d handle this no problem but I thought you might wanna have a word given that there’s more joining in by the minute and they’re headed this way.”

Damn. Supernatural temperaments being what they were, regardless of species, Klaus knew that Marcel had been right to fetch him. Squabbles like this could not be afforded, allowing it to go unchecked by the King himself was unthinkable. Tensions were beginning to run high, particularly in the Quarter (which, again was Marcel’s problem really) and if the humans began to be affected, they’d really be in the shit. The sooner he and Caroline married, the better. And he was always better at shows of strength anyway. He loved reminding his subjects exactly who was King. Earning their loyalty and respect was something Marcel reminded him to do but re-establishing his authority when matters like this arose was always much more entertaining, the centuries old teachings of his psychotic father, of his people, were engrained still. “How far?” he grit out, never taking his eyes off Caroline’s frightened features.

“Rue Dauphine. Outside Jardin Gris, the voodoo shop”

Not far enough. “Those blasted Dubois! I don’t care how chummy you are with Thierry, Marcel, I’ll have his head on a spike for this!” Klaus growled, his vampiric side flaring in his anger before he remembered Caroline. Damn. She’d never seen his vampiric face before at all. He had explained that neither he nor any of his siblings had chosen this life and that out of all of them, he embraced it the most. Still, something inside him had no wish for her to see him as the abomination Mikael had always made him out to be. She was too pure for such vileness, he didn’t wish to see the revulsion on her features at his true face. Within a second, Klaus had sped up the street to the scene of the crime, Marcel right behind him, leaving his future wife behind. Marcel had been with Klaus for enough years to know not to ask what he was thinking. When it came to matters such as this, despite how much Klaus enjoyed the bloodshed, he could be diplomatic. Also, it was far more strategic, far more fun to watch the chaos and to plan how to intervene than just wade in sometimes. The thrill is in the chase. Never in the capture. He’d learned that in the ‘20’s. And sure enough, the scene before him is one of utter carnage. The witches; be they old, dead, young or alive were a pain the arse and more homicidal and fractious than humans for all their claims of family. They were always harping on about balance but seemed to have a very subjective view of it, his mother being a prime example. The odd ones, ones who observed the true balance, regardless of the consequences, they were the ones you had to worry about.

The street is littered with bodies, blood, glass and wares from the shattered windows of storefronts decorating the tarmac. The size of the crowd is only just the other side of worrying and impressive all the same. Marcel was right, it’s an amalgamation of vampires, various witches from the Dubois, Clares and Katie’s own Devereux*. Generally, the French Quarter Coven are fiercely protective of their own, the bonds of family tighter given the practise of ancestral magic. Without each other, without the power of their family, both past and present, these witches are powerless. But the witches are growing angry, more vampires are filling the Capital by the day, tending to stick around in a place where their own kind rules and the blood never ceases to flow, meaning the Triumvirate Balance of Witch, Werewolf and Vampire which the Original family maintain is tipping slowly out of their favour. Gods, never mind the humans we’ll have the sodding wolves acting up next at this rate. Klaus shares a glance with Marcel, whose view he holds above all others. One of the quickest lessons they ever had was when Klaus taught Marcel how to identify and exploit a weak point. That’s when he sees Thierry shielding Katie, her hand on his shoulder, speaking what he hazards to guess is a protection spell. Of all the things to take issue with, the evolving prejudices over the years, targeting others because of their race has never been one he’s understood. The vampires and several witches are assisting the couple whilst the other clans are trying to clear a path, but none of them have even touched Katie or Thierry. Love is a much more vicious motivator, which is why Klaus has never let his heart rule his head. That he likes to think anyway, not taking into account the various lovers of Rebekah he has dealt with over the years, given that he was only protecting her and if he’d killed all the men she’d dropped her knickers for there’d be none left and they’d have no bloody food. Marcel had proven the more worthy brother in more ways than one. After this assessment, he gives Marcel, who is standing waiting confusedly – they like to do these things together, a sort of father-son activity – a brief signal to wait before vamping back to Caroline. The drama is slowly spilling through the streets, if this is not ended shortly they’ll have a rampage on their hands. Again, normally Klaus would only be too happy to slaughter them all or worse still, join in, but with the eyes of the world on their city thanks to the publicity of a royal wedding , not to mention the drop in tourism that would occur, or the fact that Caroline would probably never look him in the eye again, that’s not something he can entertain. Still, they interrupted his date. Such rudeness must be corrected. He grabs an antsy looking Caroline by the shoulders, and muffles her scream with his hand. The ensuing bite doesn’t hurt but Klaus does feel a surge of pride at the spark of witch oil in her soul. “Sssh, it’s alright, it’s me, you’re safe.” He leans back, sees more enraged rioters coming “I’m sorry to cut our outing short, love, but this needs to be stopped. You go straight home, you shut the door, no matter what you stay there. Alert my brothers, get Kol to bring Davina as well, she can calm the sodding witches. Then have someone stay with you- not Josh though, he’s most disappointing – normally I’d ask Rebekah but…nevermind. Diego. Get to Diego. You understand?!” Caroline nods, looking round to make sure she knows how to get back to the Palace from here. He sighs, capturing her chin upon seeing the urge to resist blossom in her eyes, she wants to see it for herself, but Caroline has not spent enough time in New Orleans, around the supernatural to understand that this will be a literal bloodbath. And she probably knows that. Thinking about it, he should probably have some protection spells done on her. In a thousand years, Klaus has, quite literally, lost his faith in humanity. They were such dense, persuadable creatures sometimes, like sheep. Modernisation had dulled their senses, killed the battle for survival, the genuine ‘fight’ response. Yet, sometimes has also meant that Klaus has met individuals like Marcel, Cami and Caroline; bright intelligent souls which sparked his interest. It pained him to admit, but Caroline fascinated him, that a young girl like her could be sunshine wrapped around a hurricane. It made him wonder what kind of life she would have led back in their human village; she didn’t seem to be like Rebekah; who even then had wanted love and babies; a desire which had grown and been frustrated by her immortality. “Forgive me, litt hrid* this is not your fight just yet. Go home. ” Just as it seems Caroline is about to open her mouth and tell him where he can put his forgiveness, there is a nasty shriek and a car alarm bursts into life. “Thank you” Caroline whispers, the challenge draining out of her, jumping up to peck his cheek before she takes off running down the street. Klaus can’t help but stare after her for a moment, surprised at her displaying an intimacy he only occasionally receives from Rebekah and Cami, making sure she’s headed the right way – he knows her well enough to know that she might try and go looking for the trouble – before he heads back into the fray.

****

“You’re a piece of work Agnes. You need to get with the times. As your King, I’m officially telling you to sod off.” Klaus is leaning against one of the pillars supporting the second storey’s veranda outside Jardin Gris, arms crossed, grinning at Agnes. He’s wanted this particular witch dead for a very long time. And now, the Coven Elder has finally given him the support he needed. Given that he has plenty of reasons to kill her, plenty of evidence too but Elijah and Marcel and effectively everyone else had said that killing Agnes would do more harm than good in the long run. But Agnes has lost the one thing that was keeping her alive; her people’s respect. Davina too has wanted revenge on Agnes ever since the older woman tried to have her killed for the Harvest. Cami – and after a fashion, Klaus - for the deaths of Cami’s only two remaining family, her uncle, the well-respected Father Kieran, and her twin, Sean. But everyone else counselled against it. And then sodding, sodding Elijah had given his word that Klaus would not end her life. But now she had attacked one of Klaus’ guards, an innocent witch and worst of all….Hayley. Fiery, blunt Hayley, the Mikaelsons Little Wolf, one of the few who had commanded Klaus’ respect from the off, despite the distraction she presented to Elijah (or on a few useful occasions because of that). Hayley had come charging down from the palace, Davina and Elijah in tow, strode through the chaos and somehow managed to get Agnes by the throat. Agnes had, it was ingenious, Klaus could always admire a good attack, even from his enemies, then proceeded to make Hayley’s blood boil from the inside.

“HAYLEY!” Elijah had dashed forth to catch her, checking her pulse, her skin, her eyes for any sign of damage. The sight of the young wolf who’d only come to help her friend Katie on the ground, writhing in agony, her vampiric lover helpless by her side, had roused all sides against Agnes. “You are no King of mine, beast. You don’t frighten me, you Mikaelsons. You rule this Kingdom through brute force, attempting to live harmoniously with all the monsters around you. We witches are the ones who keep the balance and we will rise again, with our ancestors behind us, to take back what is rightfully ours.” Her eyes went, gleefully to Hayley, coughing up blood, to Davina, then Marcel and finally to Klaus “one by one. You will find nowhere safe for your family” a knowing smile, the one that made Klaus want to kill every witch within a 1,000 miles for that show of smugness.

“Old and new”

**Caroline.**

Klaus snarled, shoving himself off the pillar to stalk towards Agnes. Caroline had done nothing to incite the old bitch’s wrath and yet she was not safe from even Agnes, who had never laid eyes on the future, human, Queen, who had no understanding of politics, who merely wanted her kind’s old power back. She would not have harmony of the supernatural, she would destroy all vampires and human sympathisers alike (he’s seen the propaganda she’s been spewing) and condemn them to the Other Side. And now to drag in Caroline, which would bring all of Mystic Falls and probably Virginia down on them. He’s truly going to enjoy killing Agnes; make it nice and slow and leave bits of her artfully arranged outside her family tomb. _No-one touches my family._

“Niklaus” Elijah’s strangled voice gives Klaus pause. He turns, slowly, to see Elijah whisper something to Hayley before leaving her with Davina cradling her in her lap. Ellijah straightens, moving towards the scene with that familiar grace, but there is something calculating in his eyes. “I gave my word that Agnes would come to no harm by your hand”

Most present glared at the heir apparent as Klaus gave a pointed look at Hayley and then at Elijah “You give your word at the most inopportune times, brother!” Elijah barely acknowledges his words, merely smiling enigmatically as he moves to stand directly in front of Agnes. His eyes have taken on a kindly edge, almost pity and Agnes looks torn between not believing her luck and as if she’s about to start weeping. “I said you would not die by my brother’s hand. I said nothing about my own.” And then Agnes head does a 180 and her body hits the floor before Elijah has even turned round. Striding back to his wounded paramour, Elijah scoops Hayley up, and he may be covered in blood (this is not unusual for the Mikaelson family, in fact Klaus realises idly that he can count on one hand the amount of times he has made a speech without some amount of blood on himself) and wild eyed but he is every inch the Crown Prince as he declares to the assembled crowd “No-one hurts our family and lives. No-one. Go back to your cauldrons, your forests, Bayou and your bars and tell every single creature that when you stand against one Mikaelson; be they witch, vampire, werewolf or human, you stand against us all. Against those chosen to lead you, against your very own kind. New Orleans is our home, all of us. No-one should fear persecution or conflict at home. See what happens to those who threaten the Mikaelsons. Remember Agnes’ final lesson”

The vampires and most of the werewolves looked thrilled. Thierry was muttering to Katie about how he’d buy Elijah a drink everyday for the rest of his life, Davina was hugging Marcel and Kol together, and even some of the witches looked relieved. The others…they’d just have to get over it. And Klaus…Klaus slipped quietly away to Rousseau’s, thinking of blue eyes and blonde hair and wishing Caroline could have shared in this moment of his family’s triumph. Their family. Klaus returned to the Compound silently, without the company of his family or Courtiers. It would probably be a bad thing for the King to disappear without an escort or anyone knowing where he was, if he wasn’t the Hybrid. God knows, his old friend Louis XIV had gotten enough hell for it in his younger years. Not that Elijah was the equivalent of the Duc de Orleans in anything but name only, the line of succession was merely a formality given the immortality factor. The need for heirs in the marriage contract was simple diplomacy.

As he reached the window of his chambers, Klaus jimmied open the lock and slide off the sill into his Solar. There were sumptuous libraries within the Compound, one a private family room, the other a place of State business filled with the archives etcetera. The Mikaelsons however each possessed a Solar; their own private room from reflection, retained from their medieval lifespan. Here was where Klaus had concocted his best schemes and ruled without restraint. It was perhaps a little large for a solar, though that was due both to his (widely disputed) position as Head of the family and his need for an art space. Klaus had made great renovations to this room during the Renaissance; adding windows where necessary to achieve the best light along with heavy curtains for when he wanted to block out the sun. His easels and canvas were hidden in a small closet beside the door, whilst a mammoth dresser contained his vast array of paint and brushes. A beautiful mahogany desk faced one window, the biometic lock the latest addition to protect his papers. Unable to accommodate a piano in this space and unwilling to completely lose the privacy of the room, there were no musical instruments but rather a sleek music system and a selection of his favourite compositions on the other wall. A larger one was in his main apartments but Klaus found music too soothing to leave it out of the room entirely.

Each sibling and their spouses had their own, each naturally personalised. Davina, another artist apparently had her own painting supply along with many scented candles whilst Kol had the majority of witchcraft paraphernalia in his Solar. Rebekah’s, sentimental fool his sister was, was covered in photographs but her fencing gear was kept by Marcel alongside his own in his Solar. Elijah and Hayley oddly enough shared a Solar, because they disliked keeping secrets from each other. Klaus wasn’t sure if that was a display of absolute trust or the lack of it but their arrangement was their own affair, particularly since Hayley was not yet an official Mikaelson. He certainly could not imagine allowing Caroline into his private sanctum. Tapping his fingers along the desk Klaus wondered how Caroline would personalise her own Solar. The royal decorators had been instructed to allow the new Queen to decorate her room precisely to her own tastes and knowing Caroline as he did, Klaus allowed himself a chuckle, thinking that the poor sods certainly had their work cut out for them there.

Whereas Klaus favoured mahogany and dark walls, Caroline’s would probably be blond wood and cream walls with gauzy drapes at the windows. Her apartments were joined to his by a corridor and the saloon that housed his piano. He wondered what Caroline would fill her rooms with besides clothes. Books? Or was she fond of a particular instrument or academia? How would she decorate her walls? There were no decoration on the walls in here, though the most precious trinkets he had amassed over his long life were in this room; one of the knights he had carved Rebekah as a human boy, the Hummingbird feather from his trek in the Andes, the Moonstone from his Curse all had their place. Heading to the liquor cabinet, Klaus pulled out his decanter of bourbon and poured a tumbler, sitting at the desk with his feet propped up, allowing himself for a few precious moments to zone out. Almost immediately Klaus frowned in irritation as Caroline re-entered his thoughts unbidden. It was not as if she didn’t cross his mind from time to time anyway, they had had quite a regular thing going over the last year but she was one of many women he enjoyed on a regular basis. Would she expect him to be faithful? To wear a ring to signify what was in truth a fleeting arrangement for him? Caroline. Shit. Her name crossed his thoughts again with renewed fervour, having not seen her since he’d watched her blonde curls bouncing as she scurried back to the Compound. Had she even made it? Was she aware that the crisis was averted? Typically Klaus was good at keeping his favourites alive if Marcel, Cami, Genevieve [although she was practically off the list at this point anyway] and Stefan were anything to go by but he’d been so distracted by thoughts of Caroline that he’d actually forgotten that the real girl was somewhere in his house. Downing the bourbon and tossing it onto the coffee table for Claudette, his maid to find, Klaus strode through the secret corridor and saloon to bang on Caroline’s doors.

“Love? You in there? It’s me, its all over now.”

No answer.

Perhaps she had earphones in, or Diego had forced her to wait in the Solar? Forcing the door open, Klaus saw that the room was indeed empty. He even strode across the space to open the doors to the bathroom and small study. No Caroline. Hadn’t he bloody told her to find Diego and wait it out here in the safety of the Palace? There was no reason to panic, yet Klaus felt tension begin to crawl under his skin all the same. Taking a deep breath, Klaus paused. Tasted the air. Caroline hadn’t even been in here yet, the faint traces of her scent came from her clothes, recently put away by servants. Blurring down the various corridors he searched for a stronger trail, endless years of the hunt aiding his precision. A burst of laughter, light and musical caught his attention and he found himself within seconds outside of Elijah’s Presence Chamber. Whilst each Mikaelson had their own Solar, both he and Elijah had official rooms where courtiers could reach them. He had done away with the Privy Chamber concept altogether when he had taken over from Mikael, refusing to grant courtiers access to his private rooms. He was not Mikael’s true son, he would not follow in the footsteps of that monster. Not bothering to knock he entered to find one of Elijah’s creations and personal favourites– Gia, if he remembered correctly, sitting with Marcellus on the other and then on the third sofa beside Kol and Davina was “Caroline” it came out almost as if whispered in prayer. A blonde head turned towards him and she smiled widely, rising at the sound of her name.

Somehow, his family had found Caroline before he had. “You’re alright?” he asked brusquely, crossing the room, eyes scanning her for any injury. Caroline offered him a shy smile, brow furrowing in puzzlement at his words

 _Why was he so concerned?_ “Yeah.” Then louder, breaking the moment she stepped away from him towards the side table, asking if he’d like a drink. At Klaus’ nod, Caroline gracefully snatched up a clean glass and busied herself sorting out ice and pouring out the bourbon of which nearly everyone (Gia was having a beer and Davina something fruity) was partaking. Taking a deep breath, Klaus absentmindedly found his way to fourth, unoccupied sofa and lounged there as he waited for his drink. After the dash through the palace it was taking him a few moments to readjust to the quiet bliss which surrounded him. Caroline appeared before him after a few moments, with the glass of amber liquid outstretched. Unable to help the smile stretching across his face, Klaus accepted gladly and from over the rim of the glass watched Caroline sit elegantly beside him, slanting her legs. Crossing one leg over his other knee and resting one arm on the back he watched their little family circle.

Davina made Kol act his age and had proven key in helping him reduce his bloodlust. Half the battle was the desire for control – something some vampires, Klaus included, had struggled with. Kol had always been the devil on Klaus’ shoulder, his partner for some of the more violent acts in their 1,000 year history. Davina was pulling him away from that and in fact the other Mikaelsons were profoundly grateful – running a Kingdom as complex as theirs required balance and unity. The pair were curled around each properly now that Caroline had chosen to sit next to Klaus [something the rest of the family had evidently noticed] Davina girlishly bringing her legs up beneath her dress and leaning into her husbands embrace. Their rings clinking where their hands brushed. Marcel was more relaxed, in a similar pose to Klaus watching Davina with unrestrained affection which Klaus lavished on his own child. Gia beside him was leaning forward, her jacket on the arm beside her – shirt torn from the fight but otherwise in perfect health. Her beer dangled from her fingers as she and Marcel discussed concertos.

Caroline was listening intently carefully sipping her own bourbon. She did not lean into his touch but did not shy away from it either, only shooting a warning glance [that he shrugged off] when Klaus began to play with her hair. It was only when Elijah came in – no doubt to update him on the situation and probably Hayley that Klaus realised how dangerous things could become if he allowed himself to be so relaxed around Caroline. Standing at the door, Elijah’s eyes fell upon Klaus and Caroline and Klaus felt his Wolf flare at the way Elijah was watching them, calculatingly.

 

Elijah only smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s never given in The Originals what Katie’s last name or family was so I made her a Devereux. Need to look up which families are part of the French Quarter Coven. 
> 
> Minn litt hrid = my little storm


	4. Like a duck to water...make that bourbon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my stars, this chapter has been an absolute bitch to write. I was actually really proud of one particular part (the Muses must have been with me) and then its gets deleted (Microsoft Word I’m looking at you). Also I’ve begun to structure this fic far more than I had initially because I’m trying to develop my writing style. You’ll probably notice that this chapter features quite a few revamped scenes from the actual show in terms of dialogue because they fit quite well with the themes. This chapter also jumps around a little bit in terms of POV but I decided I wanted to introduce characters and develop relationships so here we are. 
> 
> I know it may be strange that Klaus isn't telling Caroline who he is and it is odd that a clever, obsessively strategic character like him would not think it the better option but the thing is, in some skewed way as I hope I've shown at this point in the story Klaus does think it makes sense. 
> 
> Bad decisions make the best stories right?

“Evening, Elijah” Klaus spoke his greeting to the door he had just closed behind them, pleased to notice in his usual assessment of his surroundings that sage burned strongly in the air. Not that Elijah would gain a compliment from him any time soon.

“Niklaus” To the untrained ear, the way Elijah said his name would simply sound like the return of a greeting. Any Mikaelson sibling, or indeed a courtier worth their salt knew that it was the Crown Prince’s version of a reprimand. Even his demands for attention wore fucking suits.

“I have to say Elijah this little chat you’ve requested is an entirely unwelcome surprise. I thought we’d agreed to let Caroline settle a little first before we had this conversation.”

“And there is the entirely unsurprising welcome. Do sit down Niklaus, we have much to discuss.” At his brother’s silence Elijah sighed and with the clicking of his shoes and quiet rustling of fabric, paired with the light clink of glass on glass, Klaus knew that he’d driven his brother over to the decanters. Good.

“I didn’t realise that you and the Lady Forbes shared a previous familiarity” Elijah prompted.  Taking a moment to breathe deeply as he glared at the mahogany of the door, Klaus muttered back “Neither did I, Elijah.” When he at last turned to face his elder brother, Klaus’ irritation was close to being tempered by the generous serving of bourbon Elijah was offering him. Though Klaus had lived long enough to know that the Noble Mikaelson thoroughly believed in using honey over vinegar to strike deals, with his family at least.

Still, bourbon was bourbon. Snatching up the glass, Klaus threw himself in one of the deep Chesterfield arm chairs to turn his twinkling devilish gaze upon his brother. He’d play along with Elijah’s line of enquiry; it wasn’t that complicated to guess. Klaus had been expecting this talk concerning his fiancée, though he could tell that Elijah’s renewed interest in speaking to him over the matter was his own interest in Caroline. One that he would have to manage with a particular care that he had not lavished on his personal relationships since Aurora all those years ago.

“Explain this acquaintance to me. From what I have seen – and I will not have been the only one to notice Niklaus, there is an encouraging warmth between the two of you, more than the typical sweet words. I had begun to dare to hope that you and Lady Caroline could become friends,” the way that Elijah’s voice altered slightly on that last word highlighted precisely how much he had dared hope. Even after all this time, Elijah still believed that Klaus could be saved, that something would come alone that would be his saving grace. Poor bastard.

Klaus allowed himself one small, sincere smile before he turned a more grandiose version of it towards Elijah. It was a rare and valuable day when Elijah’s scheming fell into step with Klaus’ own naturally. “And yet –“ here Elijah gave his own wolfish grin as he continued “You have had me initiate a deception regarding our identities, one that the rest of our family will no doubt have its part. Why?”

This additional enquiry made Klaus sigh, longing for the odd days when he was left alone with only Kol and Marcel, who despite Davina’s positive influence still loved to raise a little hell provided their witch was safe. “Political strategy, Elijah, do keep up”

Evidently sensing that he would need time to digest what Klaus was about to say, Elijah moved with that inherent grace of his towards the opposite Chesterfield chair at a glacial pace. Elijah may have been all about being seen as above board, noble, determined to uphold the promise of ‘Always and Forever’ but like all older siblings he enjoyed pissing Klaus off while he did it. Fingers tapping against the bourbon glass Klaus couldn’t help but enquire as to whether Elijah was comfortable as he undid his blazer and settled into his own chair.

“Quite. Now Niklaus be so kind as to explain to me precisely how you’re deceiving the Mystic Falls girl will aid in convincing her to enter into this alliance where presently _we_ are at the disadvantage.  The goal here is a lasting alliance not to provide an incentive for war in the guise of a slighted heart of a young woman. I will not permit you to endanger our family by ruining a manoeuvre designed to ensure our security”

 

****

Caroline had been scared that her first evening with the Mikaelsons would end in either death, with a vampire attached to the other side of her jugular or alone in her room. Yet she hasn’t even had the chance to set foot in her room, instead she’s suffering a much worse fate – one she’s glad the people of Mystic Falls, especially Tyler and Elena aren’t here to see.

Deathly Silence.

Herself, Marcel, Gia, Kol and his wife are all still sitting as they were when Elijah and Klaus wordlessly left the room together. They’re all sitting stock still, as if in suspended animation, the tension palpable. Caroline wonders idly what Klaus and Elijah are talking about. Maybe the relationship between the brothers isn’t as strong as Tyler had told her back in Mystic Falls and Elijah’s getting into trouble with his darker haired brother over them slipping away this afternoon because she had come so close to being in the thick of the altercation with the witches on her first day here.

Just as she is about to excuse herself, she feels a hand on her wrist and looks down to see Marcel has gently grabbed hold of her “Ssh Care.” Caroline thinks she ought to be uncomfortable that Prince Marcel of Vieux Carre has taken to using her nickname so quickly but Marcel has an easy manner about him that his father and uncle do not. She feels at ease with the royal family on the whole – though she knows them from those illicit hours in Virgina, Caroline can still tell that they’ve been going out of their way to be polite. She may be a bit shallow, but she pays enough attention to know that even as the weaker species, politically the Mystic Falls Duchess’ daughter holds the power here. They need her favour, they’ll have to work for it.

 _That’s another thing,_ a voice that sounds a lot like Bonnie in her head reminds her, _where are your survival instincts? The Mikaelsons are vampires, predators. There’s nothing to stop them from lulling you into a false sense of security, taking your necklace away and compelling you into compliance – wedding contract be damned._

A shudder passes through her at the thought and Marcel taking this as discomfort at the physical contact, withdraws his hand. He doesn’t look particularly upset by the development, but the characteristic warmth has left his eyes _. He’s a 200 year old murderer Caroline,_ Bonnie chides her.  “We need to be able to hear them” he nods at the door as he whispers up at her. That’s when it hits her. God, could she be anymore slow?!

They’re vampires – meaning they have extra sensitive hearing – so odds are they should be able to hear Klaus and Elijah as long as they remain within the palace. Caroline becomes as tense as the rest of the group, waiting with renewed interest. She’s not the only one in the room without the heightened senses and Kol doesn’t strike her as someone who keeps the juicy details of intrigue for pillow-talk.

That’s when the vampire in question gave a frustrated huff and all of a sudden the group relax around her. Marcel gets up, brushing past Caroline to top up their drinks, pulling another beer from the fridge for Gia when she asks.

“Bloody sage” Kol grumbled to no-one in particular. “I was hoping they’d forget this time” Princess Davina pats his knee before explaining to Caroline that sage is burned to ensure confidentiality, so they won’t learn anything until the brothers are ready to share.

Marcel presses the now topped up glass into Caroline hands with a little more force than necessary so that a tiny bit slops over the rim and onto her hand. Another question bubbles to the forefront of Caroline’s mind – how careful do they have to be all the time, not to injure mortal creatures? Marcel must be irritated that Caroline is so uneasy around him and that’s probably stretching towards concerns over the alliance. Caroline thinks for a moment. She has two options. She can leave the room and have one of the servants take her to her room, so that she can process all of the day’s events and make a few phone calls. Or, she can thank Marcel, sit down and learn as much as she can about her new situation. Caroline quickly does a role call in her head of who she can ask for information:

Her more than likely husband to be has spent only five minutes with her – King Niklaus is a notoriously bad egg to crack and is probably giving his brother a dressing down for putting their much needed asset into the firing line right now. So going to him is no good. She’ll see if she catches him at breakfast – or at the next opportunity for wedding related stuff. Something her mother and the Republic’s Council had insisted on was that they continue to plan the wedding over this trial period. If at the end of it, Caroline feels that an alliance is impossible, she has the opportunity to withdraw.

It’s a clever move in some ways, it keeps New Orleans dancing to whichever tune Mystic Falls decides to sing. On the flipside, if this goes sour – which the Council had made it very clear was only in the most dire circumstances – they have wasted the Originals time and money, when those resources could go into the war that everyone appears to be gearing up for on the sly. Even so, if New Orleans wastes all its money on a royal wedding, Mystic Falls can accrue as much money as possible because they’re not hosting the event or anything leading up to it. The Republic only has to send gifts and publicly support the match. As long as they’re not caught buying weapons or growing vervain – they’re in the clear.

Caroline may not be royalty in the traditional sense but she’s Queen of Organisation – which makes her an eagle eyed tactician. Something that may benefit both Mystic Falls and New Orleans – as well as herself.

Anyway, Klaus won’t share what he doesn’t want her to know. The sage has just proven that.

Elijah….Elijah is a complication none of them planned for. He likes her certainly, their history and today have certainly proven that. He’s cocky, a little brash and certainly abrupt but indulgent and attentive too. Caroline likes him too – another part of Caroline quashes the thought before it can take deeper root. She can’t. She mustn’t. The marriage contract is clear – she marries the King, not the Crown Prince. He already gave up power once before for Katherine Petrova – a move like that would diminish the Republic’s power not increase it.

Damn. Caroline’s more logical side adds that while she and the dimple faced Prince were attracted and liked each other, that didn’t necessitate love. Some of her feelings must show on her face because Kol has gotten up and is stood in front of her.

“Caroline, you alright darling?”

Caroline nods and offers him a weak smile before turning to find her seat again. Klaus won’t tell her anything – Elijah is a danger to both of them. He’s kind but reckless, she can’t risk her life like that. Caroline’s seen Elena’s life recently and she has no desire to get between two brothers the way that the Petrova girls seem to do.

“Just stretching,” she quickly apologises to Marcel for earlier, stating that the events of earlier must have affected her more than she realised and then leans forward with a conspiratorial smile “So, tell me what I need to see before my official duties kick in”

Davina is the one who takes charge of that particular question, leaning forward animatedly in her seat to match Caroline’s own stature before beginning to list several festivals, such as Mardi Gras which are the highlight of the Orleans calendar. It’s only when Gia, who has barely spoken during the entire hour and quarter that they’ve been in the room together, points out that one event Caroline didn’t even catch the name of isn’t until next year that a decision to make a list is made. Her attempt to gather information has been botched by the young witch but Caroline can’t find it in herself to care. She’s a good planner, she’s a quick study as she had to be in order to prevent being over shadowed and living up to the Forbes name, but she’s not a manipulator. Whether that makes her a bad Queen, in this moment, doesn’t interest her. It’s late, darkness creeping closer to the windows but the room is warm and bright both in company and atmosphere. It’s normal. Which is precisely what she needed.

“A list I can get behind” Caroline grins at her, and is happy to see a reserved smile grace Gia’s elegant features in return. Kol pulls a pad and pen from the desk and they gather closer together round the coffee table, the other four debating the suggestions each of them make as Caroline plays scribe.

Davina and Gia have just agreed to take her to a musical festival in a week’s time when the door opens to reveal Elijah and Klaus. Neither of them look very happy but Klaus stays only a short while to bid his family goodnight and steals a decanter off the table. He claps each man on the shoulder, kisses Davina cheek and gives Gia a full hug before coming to Caroline. Eyeing Elijah who is fiddling with his necklaces, he kisses Caroline’s hand and says they’ll begin discussing wedding details in the morning.

“I do hope this afternoon didn’t colour your opinion of us too harshly Caroline?” he asks but Caroline only smiles and gives him a line about it hardly being their fault (Although wouldn’t the Council sing, if they knew how bad things were here?) before snatching up a decanter and saying he’s going to check on Hayley. Elijah lets it go without comment and he sits down, allowing Davina to fill him in on their present activity.

“Hayley?” Hayley Labonair turned out to be a werewolf Queen who resided within the Compound. Elijah muttered something about it being better than a swamp before Klaus threw a pencil at wicked speed at him across the room. Catching it easily, the brothers shared a barbed smile until Klaus left the room.

“You shouldn’t antagonise him” Marcel complained. “I’ll be the one getting grief when Rebekah comes home and finds her brothers fighting”

Perhaps it was the alcohol but that right there was something Caroline just didn’t understand. Elijah leaned across as well, covering her hand with his. “Marcel here is married to our sister, Rebekah” Caroline should move her hand. No, fuck that, Elijah should move his hand. Do none of the Mikaelson boys have a sense of self preservation? _They’re immortal Caroline. It’s probably not in the vocabulary,_ Matt tells her in her mind.

It’s a kindness really, she tells herself. And a new situation. In the days gone they could sit like this for half an hour and then he’d take her back to his hotel room and they’d have sex until she couldn’t walk and no-body would comment. She knows it’s stupid and reckless and she needs to be smarter but right now, right now she’s human and there’s one person, one person who actually know her here and she just wants a bit of comfort so sue her she’s going to let Elijah hold her hand and talk to his family. And if anyone so much breathes a word to Klaus she’ll start the war on principle.

It’s gone 4am by the time everyone’s disappeared. Davina was the first one off just after midnight. Kol dropped about twenty minutes later, literally out of the massive French windows. It’s another stark reminder, _not human, not human_ Bonnie chants, her voice drumming out a beat on the inside of Caroline’s skull. Out of the corner of her eye, Caroline sees Elijah watching her but remains fiercely engrossed in whatever the hell Gia’s telling her. She's Caroline goddamn Forbes, she's Head of the Mystic Falls Cheer Team, like hell she'll let herself be cowed by some superior gymnastics. 

Caroline clucks her tongue, getting irritated by the fact that Bonnie, who she has known since she could sit up is capable of berating her from an entire kingdom away. Elijah has stayed with her though they’ve sat in comfortable silence after Marcel and Gia slipped away to feed (not hunt, not kill) but when the clock strikes 4am he stands up. “Come along, love. You know how fond I am of your stamina but we’ve got a lot to get through tomorrow. Well, later today. Will you walk or must I carry you?” She could tell he was taking the piss but couldn’t be bothered to tell him where he could stick his oh so rapier wit. Which really must be a sign of how tired she is. She allows Elijah to accompany her along the low lit corridors back to her room. Too many bourbons, Caroline thinks gloomily as she tries the handle.

Remembering her manners at the last minute and hoping against hope that nobody’s going to report to her parents that Caroline got a little bit smashed on her first night here, she turns back to Elijah. His face, which so often today she’s thought that if she touched would be as cold as marble is softened back to humanity by the soft lightening. That golden hair is buttery and Caroline finds her herself thinking that she can just about remember how it feels under her fingertips, or maybe tucked into the crook of her neck.

He’s standing there watching her, his eyes gleaming in what looks like pure indulged glee before even softly still he murmurs. “Lock the door remember. And I’ll see you in the morning”

“With coffee?” her voice comes out small and petulant. The more sober part of her brain feels like she’s five, thumb in her mouth and blankie trailing behind her.

“Yes, with coffee” Elijah’s mouth is strained but the corners are smiling so she thinks the rest of his mouth, which always looks so plush and inviting and no, bad Caroline, sexy brother is off limits, would join in if it could.

Then before she can stop him, he darts forward and pressed those gorgeous lips curving into that smile she wants so desperately to taste, to her cheek. A strange combination of scents fills her nostrils; the strongest is a woody sort of musk, complimented by an oddly floral scent and another that is relatively chemical.

“Goodnight Caroline” And then he’s gone with the blink of an eye.

Caroline shuts the big heavy door not noticing the sheer extravagance of her lodgings, which even as a bare canvas for her to decorate on her whim had been modelled on or in truth stolen from Marie Antoinette. She does she thinks with the sense of accomplishment that comes when you stagger on regardless of how tired and drunk you are, manage to brush her teeth, change into some sleep clothes left out for her and manage not to trod on a heap of white fluff she thinks is a cat.

Kitten. Her brain manages the more specific term after a minute spent on it. That’s sweet. Klaus bought her a cat. Something Elijah with his nice smell and deep eyes couldn’t manage. ‘Kitty cat. Catty kit’ she singsongs, making kissing sounds in hopes of cuddles. The kitty glares at her, then swishes onto a comfy looking chair. Stuck up little thing. They’ll work on that.

 In seconds Caroline was out like a light and dreaming of a tall, smiling groom who smelled like paint.

**Author's Note:**

> So there we go! As I say, Caroline thinks Klaus is actually Elijah and Elijah's name is Klaus. 
> 
> To aid with any confusion in the narrative, I will make it as clear as possible when Caroline is talking to actual Elijah and when she is talking to actual Klaus as I hope I've done here.


End file.
